TMC exposes Centre withholding funds to Bengal, debunks FM’s claims
Kolkata: A day after Abhishek Banerjee launched a salvo at the Centre over deprivation of Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday released official papers showing that no funds were released for the state under the MGNREGA scheme.
TMC on Wednesday revealed official documents showing that the NDA government withheld only Bengal’s MGNREGA funds, debunking Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s false claims made a day earlier that the Opposition-ruled states were not being deprived by the Central government.
The ruling party claimed to have exposed BJP’s lies on Bengal’s pending dues in connection with MGNREGA with official documents. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders said that they exposed the lies propagated by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, when she said that the Opposition-ruled states were not being deprived by the Centre.
During a press conference, senior party leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kunal Ghosh reiterated the party’s demand for a WHITE PAPER on the funds released to Bengal under MGNREGA and Awas Yojana after BJP’s humiliating defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Kunal Ghosh said: “The maximum number of fake job cards in the country were recovered in BJP’s double-engine states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Yet, they receive their funds whereas Bengal’s dues are being obstructed with the help of lies.”“The cover has been blown wide open! Yesterday, FM @nsitharaman put up a brave face denying any ‘vanchana’ of Opposition-ruled states. But official documents from @FinMinIndia say otherwise: Bengal received ZERO funds under MGNREGA. Will the Bangla-Birodhi Jomidars dare to accept Shri @abhishekaitc’s challenge and #ReleaseWhitePaper before they run out of their BORROWED TIME?” TMC said in its post on X.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on March 14 had issued an open challenge to the BJP leaders, asking them to produce a WHITE PAPER on the funds released to Bengal under the MGNREGA and Awas Yojana schemes after the BJP lost the 2021 Assembly Elections. Banerjee also called out the Union Finance Minister’s false claims on Tuesday.
Chandrima Bhattacharya in a post on X said: “Yesterday, FM @nsitharaman boldly lied about fund allocation to Opposition-ruled states but the official documents tell a different story: Bengal received NO funds under MGNREGA. This is how @BJP4India rewards states that reject its brand of HATE POLITICS!”
Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale said: “Union FM should furnish a White paper. This is very important & Finance Minister @nsitharaman should respond to this if she has nothing to hide...’
